E-Paper
Top Maoist Madvi Hidma killed in encounter in Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh Police chief Harish Kumar Gupta said that the one-hour exchange of fire started at 6am.
Madvi Hidma, a most-wanted Maoist commander, and his wife, Hema, were among six Maoists killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Maredumilli forests in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitarama Raju district on Tuesday, people aware of the matter said.
Andhra Pradesh Police chief Harish Kumar Gupta said that the one-hour exchange of fire started at 6am. “Six Maoists were killed. Among those neutralised is believed to be senior Maoist commander Hidma,” he said. He added that a search operation was underway to verify the identities of those killed and recover weapons.
Another police officer said they had intensified the combing operations in the areas bordering Telangana and Chhattisgarh based on the intelligence that senior Maoist leaders were sheltered in Maredumilli.
“Acting on the inputs, combined security teams launched a large-scale operation in the early hours. As the forces closed in, an intense exchange of fire broke out,” he said.
Hidma, who was from Puvarthi village of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, was accused of masterminding major attacks on security forces. His death marks a major setback for the Maoists. Hidma carried a ₹1 crore bounty on his head, Hema ₹50 lakh, and Chelluri Narayana Rao alias Jambri, who was among the six killed, ₹20 lakh.
Security forces were looking for other Maoist leaders who were reportedly accompanying Hidma.
People aware of the matter said Union home ministry officials were monitoring the developments and collecting real-time updates from the operation scene.
The Union government has set a target of eliminating Maoism from the country by next year. Heightened counterinsurgency operations have left the Maoist leadership decapitated.
Security forces have killed Maoist leaders in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Maoist chief Nambala Kesava Rao alias Basavaraju's killing on May 20 marked the most significant success against the Left-wing insurgency in years.
Basvaraju was the backbone of the insurgency in central India. He was accused of masterminding attacks, including an ambush that left 76 security personnel dead in 2010.
